Rekindled
by Piper Masters
Summary: Danny's rescue mission was a success, but at what cost? As Jump City readies for war the Titans must ask the question; who are they really fighting? Evil enemies, or confused friends? A (hopefully) epic conclusion to this three part series!
1. How to save a life- Robin

How To Save A Life- Robin

Danny had been on the roof all night. Even when Starfire insisted everyone sleep, lest Santa not visit, he stayed outside. Dani stayed up with him, sitting in silence until she was too tired and too cold to stay out anymore. When Desiree woke us up at 3:30 in the morning, it was me who was sent to tell Danny.

It was time.

"Aren't you cold?" I asked, zipping my jacket against the frigid air.

"No." Danny answered simply, though his shivers said otherwise. He was in the same position as the last time I saw him; one leg drawn up to his chest, the other dangling off the roof. His cheek rested on his knee as he stared at the sky. The light from the door cast strange shadows across his face, making him look older than his 17 years.

I knew he knew why I was there. There was no point in stating the obvious. Instead I asked, "You okay?"

Danny took a deep breath, pressing his forehead to his knee. "I'm not sure."

I nodded, looking at the sky. The forecast said a snow storm was rolling in- it was the reason Desiree had us all up so early.

With a roll of his shoulder, Danny stood, leaning on the railing next to me. "Do you think she's alive, Robin?"

The question caught me off guard. A year ago I would have laughed at the thought. Now, even with my extremely limited knowledge of ghosts, it seemed possible. Improbable, yes, but not impossible. My opinion, however, was irrelevant. "Do you?"

Danny's gaze dropped to the ocean below us. "Do you think I'll die?"

"Are you afraid that you will?"

Danny's hands shook as they wrapped around the railing. "Yeah," he huffed a humorless laugh. "I think I am."

"Good." I said seriously. "That fear will help keep you alive."

His intense gaze was back on the sky, studying the moon as if it was the last time he'd ever see it. My gut twisted as I realized it could be.

The door behind us creaked and Leon stuck his head out, eyes red and puffy. "It's time." He said, voice cracking. He trapped Danny in a fierce hug before letting us pass.

Danny walked down the stairs slowly; his eyes looked a million miles away.

Leon stopped me at the door. "I'm scared, Robin." He admitted. "What if this doesn't work? What if… what if we lose him?"

"We won't let that happen."

"Promise?" Leon looked up at me with big, watery eyes. If it weren't for his blue hair, I would have sworn I was looking at Liz.

"Yeah, Leon. I promise." _I promise you too, Liz._

"This is a stupid plan," Dani told Desiree when we walked into the infirmary. "We still have time to change our minds!"

Desiree crossed her arms. "We _might_ , but Elizabeth does _not_." The words unsaid hung heavily in the air; it was now or never.

Danny placed a hand on his clones shoulder, offering her a grim smile. "It's okay, Dani. I want to do this. I have to."

She bit her lip as Danny made his way to the only bed in the room- the rest had been removed to allow all 9 of us to fit comfortably.

Danny stood at the bedside for a long moment, processing. There were two heart monitors ready- one that was for normal humans, and one that had been specially designed for superheros. It could pick up heartbeats normal hospital equipment couldn't; as long as it registered a beat, Danny could still be brought back.

Danny's eyes lingered on the crash cart behind Cyborg, but no one addressed it.

Desiree gave Danny a crash course on the dimension of Lost Souls while Cyborg hooked him up to the equipment.

"Daniel," Desiree grabbed his hand, her expression serious. "Few have ever ventured into this dimension, and none have lived to tell the tale. Their world will mess with your mind; you might become very confused. If you hear us speaking _listen to every word._ If we lose our connection to you, it'll be almost impossible to bring you back. Our word is law; if we tell you to move, you _move_ , no matter what. Is that clear?"

Danny gulped, blinking furiously. "Crystal."

"Dude," Beast Boy whispered to Dani. "Do you really believe this is going to work?"

She nodded, wringing her beanie in her hands. "I have to. I don't have a choice."

Leon was crouched on the floor next to her, looking like he might puke.

"Do not worry, Blueberry." Starfire wrapped her arms around the shaking clone. "Friend Danny will be victorious!"

Friend Danny looked like he was going to pass out. His face was turned away from Cyborg as the robot sterilized the needle that would ultimately kill him. Starfire made her way over and grabbed his hand, offering him her brightest smile. He didn't return it.

Raven motioned me over, her face somber. "We're ready." She said quietly.

Danny's breath hitched.

"You're okay." I told him.

"If you need _anything_ , I'll be listening." Said Raven. "We all will. If anything goes wrong we'll get you out of there."

"We have your back, no matter what."

Danny took a deep breath, eyes wandering around the room. Silently, he rolled up his jacket sleeve and offered his arm to Cyborg.

"Here we go." Cyborg breathed.

Danny kept his eyes open as he died, eyes wandering. The normal heart monitors beeps got slower and slower as Danny's head lolled to the side. His eyes slid shut as he flat-lined. Faintly, a heartbeat was registered on the superhero screen.

"That should keep him out for a while." Cyborg said, securing an oxygen mask over Danny's face.

"I'm opening the portal now." Desiree said with a nod to Raven.

"Are you ready, Danny?" Though we heard no response, she gave a thumbs up.

Desiree placed her hands on either side of Danny's head, muttering under her breath in a language I didn't understand. It was silent for a moment, then, suddenly, there was a small spike on the heart monitor. Raven jumped as if someone yelled in her ear and Cyborg cursed.

"It's already wearing off!"

"What- how?!" Beast Boy squeaked. "It's only been like 2 seconds!"

"His body must be burning through the drug." Dani reasoned, a hint of hysteria in her voice. "He needs more."

" _More_?" Cyborg cried. Any more would be an overdose!"

"He's freaking out," Raven informed us. "Do something!"

With frantic eyes, Cyborg re-dosed Danny, keeping the drug on a continuations flow. Quietly Raven talked Danny through, until he flat-lined again. "He says he feels weird."

"He died and came back in under a minute." Cyborg muttered, eyes never leaving Danny's vital screens. "Give his body a minute to adjust."

Beast Boy tugged on my cape. "Dude, look."

Outside the weather had become violent. Fog obscured the view of Jump city, lightning streaking across the sky. Rain mixed with snow fell in sheets, further obscuring the view.

I watched the weather carefully as Raven and Desiree helped Danny navigate the other dimension.

"Try calling for her," Desiree told Danny quietly.

Starfire stumbled as Raven screamed in alarm. The enhanced monitor was showing a flat line.

"Friends, what is happening?"

"I overdosed him," Cyborg said numbly, charging the crash cart. To anyone else, his tone would sound careless, but I knew better. He was doing his best to stay calm the only way he knew how- acting more machine than man.

Dani was frozen in horror as Danny's body jerked under the defibrillators. Raven screamed again, pushing away from Danny.

"Raven what's-" Beast Boy yelped, falling to the ground as a bolt of lightning flashed across the sky. The equipment in the room sparked and the lights flickered before going out completely.

 _Son of a_ _ **bitch.**_

"What's going on?" Leon cried as the room was flooded with red light.

"The powers out," I told him, eyes on the medical equipment. .

"Why aren't the computers back online?" Dani yelled.

"They're fried." Cyborg said, shakily standing from where he'd fallen on the ground. He pulled up the tower diagnostics on his arm. "Half the tower is out of commission."

Beast Boy's eyes widened as he had the same thought every other Titan had. "Doesn't that mean-?" Sirens began to blare as speakers around the tower announced that emergency lock down procedures had commenced.

Starfire bolted to the door, tugging with all her might. It didn't budge. Beast Boy joined her, punching codes into the security pad.

"No go!" He shouted over the alarms. "Tower thinks we're being attacked- my override won't work!"

"I'm losing him!" Desiree yelled. Raven was screaming next to Danny, desperately trying to get him to answer.

"Robin!" Leon stumbled over to me, eyes wide with fear. "What did we do? WHAT DID WE DO?"

"He's gonna die If I can't restart his heart!" Cyborgs calm facade was melting quickly.

Beast Boy and Starfire were pounding on the door, Raven and Desiree were screaming, Dani was frozen in place, Leon was sobbing on the floor.

Danny was dying.

Through the chaos, I heard the sound of metal grinding on metal. The towers defenses were preparing to block the windows. If we got locked in, there would be no way to save Danny.

"BREAK THE WINDOW!"

Starfire wheeled around, picking up the nearest piece of equipment and launching it at the window. Wind rushed through the broken glass, blowing everyone off balance.

"Cyborg, outside!" I prayed he could hear me other the wind. For one impossibly long second, he stared at me blankly, and I feared he hadn't heard, or worse, hadn't understood. His human eye widened as his brain caught on.

"EVERYONE OUT!" He roared, grabbing Danny with one arm and ripping him free of wires with the other.

The lights began to flash, the alarm system interpreting the broken window as another attack. Much too quickly, the window barricades were lowering.

Dani unfroze, transforming and pulling Leon with her out the window. Cyborg was next, hugging Danny close to his chest. Desiree dove after them, cursing.

The barricade was almost halfway over the window.

"STARFIRE!" She leapt at the window, bracing her knees on the ground as she pushed to keep it up.

"Please, hurry!" She cried, straining. Beast Boy moved under the steel on all fours before turning into a rhino, the metal groaning as it bent.

"Raven!" I shouted, grabbing her by the arm from where she lay on the ground, palms still pressed to her head.

"I can hear him!" She yelled as I dragged her towards the window. "I can still hear him! He's scared!"

"Tell him it's okay! We've got him!" Starfire growled as the barricade tried to lower.

"Raven, we've got to move!" She wasn't moving, instead shouting to explain to Danny. I wondered if she was even aware of what was happening around her.

" _Robin_!" Starfire groaned as the weight of the steel pressed her to her back. Beast Boy was furiously switching between animals, trying to find one strong enough to stop the tower.

 _Shit._

I grabbed Raven and ran towards the window, rolling under it just as Beast Boy turned back to his human form. With a battle cry, Starfire pushed up with all her strength, diving outside just as it snapped shut. She grabbed me and Raven, carrying us safely to the ground, Beast Boy floating down on feathered wings.

The rocks on this side of the island were slick, covered in sea mist and ice. Though no one was more than 5 feet away, if was difficult to see more than vague shapes and shadows through the blizzard.

"STAY WITH ME!" Raven shouted. "DAMMIT IT DANNY, _STAY WITH ME_!"

Her eyes shot opened as she gripped my arm. "Robin _I can't hear him_!"

"No pulse!" The biggest shadow called.

"I've lost contact!" Desiree responded.

"Throw him in the water!" I yelled, rushing towards what I assumed was Cyborg.

" _Have you lost your damn mind?!_ "

"It'll be a shock to his system and trigger an adrenaline rush; it's the only chance we have!" I could see Cyborg now, hunched over Danny's body, protecting it from the harsh weather. The others were yelling each others names, trying to locate one another. "Cyborg, _now!"_

The team was slowly coming together, huddling close against the blizzard.

"Cyborg, that is an _order!_ "

With a frustrated cry, Cyborg jumped up, pushing past the team before launching Danny into the water.

" _Danny!_ " His clone shrieked, moving to go after him. I held her back, watching the water closely. Normally the water would have only been up to Cyborg's knees, but the storm had raised the level up to his chest. Everyone was shouting, confused and scared about what was happening. Cyborg's eyes darted from me to the water frantically, waiting until I told him to bring Danny back up.

"STOP IT! CYBORG PLEASE _STOP IT_!" Leon sobbed, desperately trying to claw his way out of Starfire's grip. Dani struggled relentlessly, screaming threats to get me to let her go. Suddenly, Cyborg jumped.

"NOW! Get him out now!"

The robot pulled Danny from the water. He was shivering. It was subtle, so subtle the movements could have easily been blamed on the wind. It was the muscles twitching in his jaw that gave it away- his body was still fighting.

Cyborg tossed the ghost over his shoulder, moving as quickly as he could back to shore. Together we laid Danny on the flattest rock we could, Desiree and Raven resuming their former positions.

For a few heart stopping moments, neither said anything.

"This wasn't supposed to happen!" Dani sobbed, dropping to her knees next to her clone.

Beast Boy sat next to Cyborg, eyes stuck unblinking at Danny. "He's dead, isn't he?"

Raven had a death grip on the boys arm. "Answer me. Please. Danny _please_ answer me."

"You _promised!_ " Leon cried, shoving me. "You promised we wouldn't lose him! You promised he would be okay! You _promised_!" He crumpled to the ground, dissolving into tears.

Ignoring the sobs around me, I joined Raven. "Can he hear me?" I asked.

"I don't know." She whispered. "I don't know if he can hear me or if he's even..." Danny's shivering was slowing down.

"He needs to hear you, Raven. He needs to hear us."

"I'm trying, Robin!"

"Try _harder!_ "

She bent over until her forehead was touching his. "Danny," Her voice was raw and vulnerable. "Don't give up. Please Danny. Please!" His shivering stopped, and she let out a strangled cry.

"Dammit," I shoved Raven away. "Listen up Danny, you're going to hear me and you're going to listen, understand?" His jaw twitched. "Danny, are stronger than this. You're _better_ than this. You can come back, you just have to _try dammit._ Come back Danny."

"Danny!" Starfire clutched his hand. "You cannot do this!"

His body didn't move. With a resigned sigh, Desiree let her hands fall away, shaking her head sadly. "I'm sorry." She whispered.

Cyborg sat down hard, frozen. Beast Boy slowly sank to his knees, brow furrowed as if his brain couldn't process what was happening. Starfire finally allowed her tears to fall, hugging Danny's arm to her chest. Dani screamed like her heart was being torn out, and in a way, it was.

"YOU PROMISED!" Leon wailed. "YOU PROMISED! ROBIN YOU _PROMISED_!"

Raven was on her hands and knees, shaking. Slowly she raised her head until she was looking at me. Snowflakes clung to her hair and eyelashes, the wind blowing her hair out of her face. A single tear crawled down her cheek.

The wind howled in time with the heartbroken team.

Dani slapped me, angry tears streaming down her face. "This is your fault!" she snarled, green eyes sparking. "You're the reason they're gone!"

" _Me?_ "

"You're the one who told the Guys In White where they were! You're the one who got Liz shot! They went to you for help and now they're both _dead_!" Her voice cracked. She was shaking, though from anger of the cold I couldn't tell. My instinct was to tell her to get inside, but I knew I was just trying to change the subject.

She was right.

I _had_ reported Danny and Liz to the Guys In White. I hadn't known who they were at the time, but circumstances didn't change the truth. _I_ let Danny be taken away that day at the park, and I hadn't even wanted to save them.

"I didn't know..."

"You didn't _want_ to know!" She swiped angrily at her eyes. "You took one look and labeled them as criminals!"

"Dani," Leon whimpered. "That's not fair."

"Like hell it's not! All they wanted- all they _deserved_ \- was help! Look at where they are now."

Beast Boy hadn't moved, still dead to the world around him. I couldn't bring myself to look at Raven. Cyborg was trying to gently pry Starfire from Danny's arm.

"Let go, Star," His voice was shaking. "You need to let go."

She shook her head, sobbing harder.

"Star," I brushed past Dani and knelt by her side. "There's nothing we can do. You need to let..." I trailed off.

Danny was still there. His arm was still present for Starfire to hold on to. When Liz had died, she had faded away from existence; Danny hadn't.

"Desiree," The ghosts' head snapped up."What happens when a ghost dies?"

"Ghosts do not _die,"_ She said with a hint of disgust. "They fade from existence."

"And what happens when a half-ghost dies?"

"I cannot answer. There has never been a death of this kind."

"Except there _has_ ," Dani had stopped shouting long enough to listen to me. " _Liz_ died. We all saw it- there was no body."

"Where are you going with this?" Cyborg asked, though I had a feeling he knew.

"Danny is _still here_. His body is _still here_."

"What's your point?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Every stared back blankly. "He isn't dead- he's just lost! If he was dead his body would be gone, just like Liz or any other ghost. His ghost half or his soul or _whatever_ is still out there fighting somewhere!"

Desiree scowled. "It is highly unlikely-"

"But not impossible." I interrupted. "You warned him from the beginning he could get lost. We just need to find him."

"His soul cannot come back to a dead host." Desiree said slowly, as if thinking through the issue.

"Cyborg, you and Beast Boy begin CPR."

"Robin, dude," Beast Boy blinked himself out of his stupor. "Do you really think that will help?"

I didn't, but I had to hope. I truly believed with all my heart that Danny wasn't dead- he couldn't die when we were this close to getting Liz back. But if his body died, there would be nothing for him to come back to. "We have to try!"

Leon shot up, zooming in front of Desiree's face. "I wish Danny's heart would start!"

Desiree looked uncomfortable. "My magic does not work like that, Leon. There are some things even magic cannot change. If you wish to restart his heart, you must do it another way."

"We'd need an oxygen tank," Cyborg said with a forlorn look at the locked down tower. "Or a manual respirator."

Leon's eyes flashed with desperate determination. "I wish we had a manual respirator thing!"

Desiree's eyes sparkled with pride as she raised her arms. "So you have wished it, so shall it be."

With a puff of green smoke, a manual respirator appeared in Leon's hands. When Desiree came back into view, she was on the ground, panting.

"You must hurry. I cannot keep the portal open much longer."

Leon tossed the respirator to Cyborg, who fitted it over Danny mouth and began to pump the bag. Beast Boy began chest compression's in between pumps.

"Raven, you need to look for him."

"I can't hear him-"

"Listen harder, look deeper. If he's lost he's going to be hear to hear. Starfire, I need you, Dani, and Leon working on unlocking the tower. We need to get in as fast as possible." They nodded, taking off towards the door as Raven leaned over Danny.

Beast Boy was singing, "Stayin' alive, stayin' alive," under his breath as he pushed down on Danny chest. I could have been imagining things, but I swore Danny's fingers twitched.

Ravens eyes were shut, deep in concentration. "Danny, don't give up. Please. You can do this. You can come back to us. C'mon Danny." No one spoke. No one breathed. Ravens shoulder slumped in defeat. "I'm sorry, I can't-" She stopped mid-sentence, eyes opening wide.

"What-"

"SHUT UP!" She leaned closer, leaning her ear towards Danny. A hopeful smile broke out on her face. "Oh my God. Oh my God, I can hear him!"

Cyborg laughed. "I'll be damned."

"Don't stop," Desiree urged, crawling closer. "I'm picking up on him."

Raven closed her eyes in concentration. Her hands glowed with magic as she reached out to Danny in every way she knew how.

"I cannot get a solid grip." Desiree said resentfully. "It is like he's somewhere my powers don't reach."

"Mine do." Said Raven. "Just barely."

Desiree cracked open an eye as she scoffed. "You do not possess ghostly powers-"

"No," Raven interupted. "I have _demon_ powers. Those lost souls are more demon than ghost- I can use that to our advantage."

Desiree shut up.

Raven closed her eyes, murmering under her breath as she took a peak into the dimension of Lost Souls. Beast Boy was panting as he continued compression's on Danny's chest.

"I think he found her." Raven exclaimed. "I think he's looking for a way back!"

Desiree nodded tiredly. "I can feel it- two souls." With a gasp she tipped over, laying face down on the ground.

"Desiree," I rushed to her side. "What is it? What's wrong?"

She brushed snow from her eyes. "I… I do not think I am strong enough to bring them back."

" _What_?" Cyborg growled as Beast Boy cried "You have to!"

"I cannot-"

"Not with that attitude." I sat her up. "I get you're tired- we all are. But you are their _only chance_ so you need to pull yourself together and _bring them back_!"

"Perhaps I can bring one-"

" _One_ isn't good enough!" Cyborg shouted.

"One is fine- bring back Danny."

"Dude," Beast Boy paused his compression's, looking up with a hurt expression.

"We know she's there now." I explained as Desiree resumed her position by Danny's head. "We know what to do now. We can bring him back and try again."

Raven shook her head. "He can tell what's happening. He's not gonna come without her."

"He doesn't have a choice!"

"He is resisting," Desiree said, her voice strained. "I will not be able to bring him back if this continues."

"Try _harder_ \- Raven you need to tell him what's happening."

"Wait," Desiree's head snapped up. "Something strange is happening-"

Lightning cracked across the sky, as big and bright as an exploding star. My team and I were thrown back by an unnatural strength as the bolt blinded us. Deafening thunder followed.

"Titans!" I called, blinking residual flashes from my eyes. "Sound off!"

"Here," Cyborg said.

"I'm blind!" Beast Boy cried from somewhere on my right.

"Where's Danny?" Raven asked, appearing a few feet away from me.

A loud gasp sounded from the darkness and Beast Boy shrieked.

"What's happening?" I tired to find his shadow in the dark.

Suddenly we were blinded by a new light- the light of the tower; the others had finally managed to get back in and reset the power.

Beast Boy was a foot away from Danny- Danny who was, while still unconscious, was breathing.

"Oh my God," Cyborg exclaimed.

Curled up on Danny's chest, beaten, bruised, and breathing was Liz.


	2. Hello- Danny

**Happy 2020!**

Danny chapter 2

"Danny, dude," Someone was poking me. "Like, blink if you're alive or something."

I swatted the offending hand away. "L'v me 'lone." Everything ached; it felt as if I'd been run over by a bus, a truck, and a submarine. In that order.

The hand returned with more persistence. "Talking is good and all dude, but you need to open your eyes."

"F've more minutes."

"Not until you prove that you're really alive and this isn't a stressed induced hallucination."

I groaned and rolled over to escape, only to face plant on the floor. "Ow! The h'll?"

I opened my eyes to see Beast Boy standing over me, a look of victory on his face. "He's alive!" He announced.

"Wh't- OW!" Dani barreled into me, knocking me over.

"Daniel James if you ever scare me like that again I swear to God I will kill you!"

"Wh't?" My brain was fuzzy; it felt like every thought was fighting through a field of cotton candy. Thoughts floated past in clouds of smoke, vaporizing before I could catch them.

Dani pulled back, eyes wide. "Oh God I didn't even think- do you know who I am? Do you know who you are? Do you know _where_ you are? Do you-"

Robin appeared next to her. "Give him a second- let him breathe." Dani didn't look happy about it, but she shut her mouth.

Being given a moment to breathe gave me a moment to think. What had Dani so freaked out? Had something happened; was that why it hurt to breathe?

The room was freezing, the temperature low enough that I could see my breath. As I watched my hands I realized I was shaking. My arms were covered with a glaringly red flannel pajama shirt; the pants matched.

 _Why am I wearing Robin's pajamas?_

"What's your name?" Robin asked softly.

"Danny..." I replied slowly. Robin was soaking wet, a towel draped over his shoulders to catch the run off from his hair.

"What's my name?"

"Robin. What's-"

"Where are you?"

"The tower," I snapped irritably. "Why are you asking me stupid questions?"

Robin ignored my question. "Do you remember what happened?"

I blinked. The three of them were staring at me like I was a bomb waiting to explode. What was I missing? Why was Robin wet? Why was I freezing?

Suddenly, it hit me.

I cursed as I jumped to my feet, the room tilting dangerously. Robin grabbed my arm, carefully pushing me back to the couch.

"Where is she?" I demanded, craning my neck to look around the room. In the corner the rest of the team was gathered together, talking in hushed voices. "Is she okay? What happened?"

"Take a breath dude," Beast Boy said. "Just sit tight."

"How you feelin' man?" Cyborg asked as he rushed across the room.

"I'm fine, lay off!"

Cyborg scoffed, grabbing my jaw gently. "Follow the light with your eyes."

I did as he said, growing increasingly annoyed. He ignored every question I asked him, instead sprouting demands to the others. By the time he was done with his examination there were no less than three blankets over me and a cup of hot chocolate in my hands.

"Is he gonna be okay?" Dani asked anxiously, wringing her beanie in her hands as if she were waiting for Cyborg to announce that I'd caught a fatal case of the flu.

Cyborg nodded with a sigh. "Only because he's not human," he explained. "And even then, he's pretty lucky."

"Can you not talk about me like I'm not here?" I snapped.

"What's wrong with him?" Dani pressed.

"He's damn near hypothermic," he explained. "Any longer outside and he probably would be. We need to watch him- he's definitely still at risk."

"Hello!" I waved my arms in the air. "I am _right here_! What's going on?"

"It's okay, just relax," Robin said softly, as if talking to a child. It pissed me off.

"No! I'm completely _lost_! What is happening? Why won't you tell me about Liz? Why is Robin soaked? Why am I freezing? _What is going on?"_

 _"_ _Sit down_ ," Robin commanded. The authority in his voice was so strong, I listened. "A lot just happened. We'll answer your questions later- right now you need to rest."

I was going to explode in frustration. "No! Not later- _now_!"

"Irritability is side effect of hypothermia," Cyborg muttered to Dani.

I growled, covering my face with a pillow and screaming. Beast Boy chucked, sitting on the arm rest.

"Feel better dude?"

"No." I pouted. "I feel cold."

Guilt flashed across Cyborg's face. "My bad," he said bitterly. "I haven't gotten the power back on yet."

"You haven't had the chance," Robin pointed out.

"Friend Cyborg?" Starfire called lightly. "I believe we require your assistance."

Cyborg exhaled heavily as he made his way over to her.

"Here," Dani gently took the now empty mug from my hands. "Lay down."

"No," I said, laying down anyway.

"You sound like a child."

"I am a child."

"Go to sleep Danny."

"Can't. I'm cold."

Dani rolled her eyes with a sigh.

"I got this!" Beast Boy announced, shifting into a cat and curling up on my chest. He didn't provide much warmth, but it was enough. Soon, his purring lulled me to sleep.

Hours later Cyborg woke me up with cheering- the power was finally back on. Beast Boy was still dozing on the couch; Dani was sleeping curled in a ball on the floor. Robin was reclining in a chair close to the couch, one hand loosely gripping mine, the other holding a book. He hardly reacted to Cyborgs celebration, simply offering him a tired thumbs up.

"R'bin?" He jumped at the sound of his name, relaxing when he realized it was only me.

"Hey buddy, how are you feeling?"

"C'ld" I admitted. Robin smiled as a soft hum filled the air, warm air quickly following.

"That should help."

"Why're you awake?" Even with the mask, I could see dark circles under his eyes.

"Keeping watch- Never know what's going to happen, ya know?" His hands were trembling slightly, goosebumps covering his arms.

"You're cold?"

"I'm fine," He assured me.

Nevertheless, I kicked off my top blanket and tossed it over him.

"Thanks," He finally surrendered, draping the blanket over his shoulders and running a hand over his hair. It was damp and falling in his face without his hair gel- it was slightly curled in it's natural state.

"You're hair looks weird."

Robin bent his head, stifling exhausted giggles. "Gee, thanks! You should see your hair."

"Robin?"

"Yeah?"

"Why am I wearing your pajamas?"

Robin pushed his hair out of his eyes. "We needed to get you into something dry and warm."

"Oh. Okay." Even though I had a few inches on Robin, the shirt was slightly oversize, the sleeves coming past my fingers.

"Okay," Robin agreed, messing with his hair again.

"Leave your hair alone- it's cute."

Robin's face flushed, his mouth forming a small _o,_ as if he'd never been complimented before. It made me smirk. He left his hair alone.

"Y'all should be sleeping," Cyborg whispered, materializing at the edge of the couch.

" _You_ should be sleeping," Robin countered with a yawn.

"We should _all_ be sleeping," I said.

Cyborg glanced anxiously at the corner. A screen from the infirmary had been put up, keeping our team hidden.

"You won't be able to help if you're dead on your feet," Robin insisted.

With another nervous look at the screen, Cyborg plopped down, leaning back on the couch. "I'm not sleeping," he clarified. "I'm _resting_. With my eyes closed."

Robin snickered, returning his gaze to his book. "Whatever you say."

It felt like I'd blinked when I woke up next. The early morning sunlight flooded through the windows, the room significantly warmer. Raven stood by the window, staring blankly into her cup of tea. Dani hummed anxiously as she buzzed around the kitchen, tapping her feet and drumming her fingers as she sipped from a steaming mug of coffee. Leon sat on the counter, slowly picking at a piece of dry toast.

If Cyborg had fallen asleep, he was already back up. I could hear the thunk of his footsteps from behind the privacy screen in the corner. Robin's forehead rested on the arm rest, mask slightly askew on his face. By the look of it, he hadn't planned on falling asleep when he did; he was folded in half, still sitting in his folding chair, arms dangling between his legs above a dropped book.

I pulled his blanket up to cover his shoulders as I crept out of bed. He didn't react.

Leon's head shot up as I crawled out from under the blankets. Dani offered a tight smile with a finger to her lips, motioning me to the kitchen.

"He lives!" She joked in a hushed voice.

Leon jumped off the counter, wrapping his arms around me. "You scared us," He whispered.

"I'm okay," I hugged him back.

"Do you want some coffee? Or tea?" Dani asked. "Maybe something to eat?"

"Coffee, thanks."

Raven made her way over, sitting in the chair next to me. "You look better- how are you feeling?"

Truthfully, I felt numb. I knew I shouldn't- I was acutely aware that Liz was somehow behind the screen in the corner, that something had happened last night that had scared everyone. I remembered what I'd gone through- the needle, the Dimension of Lost Souls- I should've been terrified. But I was just numb.

"Danny?" Leon waved his hand in front of my face. "You still with us?"

"Yeah,"

"You okay?"

I met his gaze. "Yeah I'm just… overwhelmed I think."

"I wouldn't be surprised if you're in shock." Raven leaned against the island.

She looked exhausted. Her pale skin was practically translucent, dark circles under her eyes. She sagged against the island, her usual poise and posture gone.

Dani handed me a cup of coffee slowly, like I would break if she moved too fast. Who knows- maybe I would. The warmth from the mug traveled up my hands into my chest, and I breathed a little easier as it reminded me I was alive.

Leon watched me carefully as I lifted the mug to take a sip, the bitter caffeine beginning to spark me back to reality.

"What happened last night?" I finally asked.

Leon squeaked, dropping his gaze. Raven stiffened, eyes flashing towards Dani. The two had a silent conversation composed of narrow eyes and frustrated glares before Dani backed down, crossing her arms over her chest with a huff.

"Let's have Cyborg check you over again first." Raven called the robot over.

As he checked me over, I took in the living room for the first time since waking up. The place was a disaster- muddy footprints stained the floor, towels thrown haphazardly over puddles and chairs. Random supplies from the infirmary were scattered over every available surface; bandages, pain killers, needles, oxygen masks. Anxiety twisted in my stomach.

The coffee was starting to wake me up, bringing my senses back online. The room smelled damp, like melted snow and saltwater, a residual chill in the air despite the heater running. I became aware of the distinct smell of disinfectant that seemed to follow medical gear.

"This might hurt," Cyborg warned as he placed a gentle hand on my chest. I winced away, pain hitting me like a truck. My ribs ached; my lungs felt like under-inflated balloons.

"Why-"

"CPR," guilt flashed in Cyborg's eyes. "I don't think anything's broken- at least, not anymore."

I nearly choked. "CPR? As in… Like real CPR? The whole 'Stayin' alive', chest compressions, kiss of life, CPR?" Oh my God- _that_ was why everyone was being so weird, treating me like I was made of glass. "How is that even possible- how did it come to… to _that_? We- you- there were _precautions_! I saw them myself before- I mean-"

"We ran into a number of… unexpected complications." Raven said evenly, obviously picking her words carefully.

"Oh is that what it was? My death was an 'unexpected complication'?"

"Danny, you don't understand-"

"No! I really don't!" Because how could a team with the most advanced technology in Jump City- probably the entire _country-_ be forced to resort to using CPR on a kid who already has one foot in the grave _literally?_ What could have gone so wrong?

Just as Raven opened her mouth to explain, Starfire screamed. Cyborg cursed, running over to the corner as medical machines began to sound off. Robin flinched so hard he fell out of his chair, turning his fall into a handspring at the last second and coming up with his mask fixed, ready for battle.

We all raced to the corner to see what was going on.

"Friend, please let me go!" Starfire's voice was forced.

" _Don't touch me!_ " A voice shouted, the screen separating us fell, and suddenly, I couldn't breathe.

 _Liz_.

There she was, green eyes narrowed as she held Starfire's arm in a death grip.

"Hey," Cyborg took a cautious step forward. "What don't you just calm down, okay? Take a deep breath."

All color drained from Liz's face as her eyes fell on the robot. Her eyes flickered from him to Starfire to the IV needle in her arm. With a cry that was half panicked and half vicious, she pushed the alien into Cyborg, sliding the IV needle out of her arm and ripping all other equipment off. She stood on unsteady feet, flipping the bed on it's side as Cyborg made to move towards her again, shoving it with strength only a half ghost could have, throwing him and Starfire to the ground.

"This isn't good..." Dani whispered in dismay. She wasn't wrong.

Liz was looking around wildly, like a caged animal desperate to escape. Her body was shaking, but from fatigue or adrenaline I couldn't tell.

"You're okay!" Beast Boy insisted, shifting from his cat form back to human next to Liz.

She yelped, grabbing the IV pole and swinging it at the green teen, knocking him unconscious. "What the hell, what the hell, _what the_ _ **hell**_ ," She muttered, dropping the pole in horror.

"Stop!" Robin commanded, raising his hands in surrender. "We aren't going to hurt you!"

Liz glanced him over with wide eyes before screaming, "HELP!", and bolting for the door.

"Wait!" Leon cried, running after her with Dani close behind.

Robin turned, a slightly stunned expression on his face. His mouth opened like he wanted to say something, but instead he gave a helpless shrug before taking off after the others.

"Come on," Raven urged me towards the door. "We need to help them."

"Right. Helping."

We found them chasing Liz in the stairwell, calling out to her to try and get her to stop and talk to them. Raven even tried using her powers to slow her down, but only succeeded in scaring her more.

"Leave me alone you _freaks_!" She shouted, darting through the first available door.

"You're freaking her out!" I yelled. "Stop chasing her!"

"He's right," Robin blocked off the door Liz had run through. " _Clearly_ something is wrong, and having us all go after her isn't helping. Leon, Danny and I will go- try and calm her down. The rest of you go back to the others- hopefully we'll meet you back down there once Liz has calmed down."

Dani looked ready to argue, but Raven put a hand on her shoulder and began leading her away. "You've got this," she said calmly.

Robin waited until they were out of earshot before he spoke again. "Ok, we need to be rational about this. For whatever reason, she's viewing us as a threat. My best guess is that she doesn't think this is real. She's been gone for almost a year- that has to be disorienting."

"She was fighting something..." I recalled. "In the Dimension of Lost Souls. It was pretty intense."

Robin nodded, mouth pressed in a firm line. "She's probably still there mentally- stuck in fight or flight mode. If she hasn't seen Leon since you were 14 she probably doesn't even recognize him- Hell, she might not recognize _you,_ Danny. You've changed a lot."

He was right. Even if she recognized where she was, seeing her friends looking different may have thrown her off.

"Would she recognize me if I was a ghost?" Leon asked. "I still look pretty much the same that way- and I look like _her,_ so even if she doesn't immediately recognize me, it'll be easier for her to put the pieces together."

"Good idea!" I smiled reassuringly. Some tension seemed to lift from Leon's shoulders as he went ghost, holding his head high with confidence.

"Great thinking," Robin agreed. "Danny, we need to try and get her to talk to you- or listen to you at least. You're our best bet at calming her down- I'm sure she'll listen to you once she realizes who you are."

"What are you gonna do?" Leon turned to Robin.

"Back up- I doubt either of you would be willing to fight her if it comes to that- which I hope it won't," he added after my horrified look. "But realistically, if she won't calm down, we may need to sedate her."

It was silent for a moment. "Let's go," Leon finally said, eyes shining with resolve. Robin opened the door.

Liz wasn't hard to locate; she was running up to every door, screaming for help when it didn't open.

"Hey," her clone started from the opposite end of the hall. Liz froze with her hand on a doorknob, turning slowly to look at him.

"Who are you?" Even though her voice was shaking, she sounded as powerful as ever.

"I'm Leon… You're clone."

Liz's eyebrows shot up in disbelief. "You're- my- my _what_?"

"I know it's been a long time, and I don't look anything like the last time you saw me but..." Robin and I watched as Leon slowly began floating in the air, holding an ecto-blast in his hand.

"Oh my God..." Something wasn't right; Liz didn't sound relieved, or happy, or even suspicious; She sounded terrified.

"I know it's probably hard to believe," Leon started, recognizing her fear.

"What _are you_?" Liz cried, tripping as she backed away. "How the _hell_ are you doing that? You're a freak or-or a monster or- oh my God _HELP ME!_ "

Leon froze as Liz jumped to her feet, bolting down the hall to the stairwell on the other side of the building, slamming the door behind her.

"She didn't… she didn't even know me..." Leon whispered, on the verge of tears.

Robin and I shared a look. "We need to find her, _right now_."

We caught up with her on the roof. Robin and Leon stopped in the door, leaving me to approach her alone, lest we manage to send her further into a panic. She was pacing around frantically, mumbling to herself and pulling at her hair.

I took a deep breath as I stepped out, the crunching of snow alerting her to my presence.

"Oh God," She groaned, taking a step back.

I help my hands up, showing her I wasn't carrying anything. "It's okay- I'm just here to talk."

"Talk?" she scoffed. "About what? About how I woke up strapped down- or how about the robot down stairs? Oh, or maybe you're here to talk about the dude _with green skin_! Maybe I'm crazy, but normal people don't just _look like that_! And they don't have purple eyes or- or _fly!"_

 _"_ You're scared," I pointed out. "And I totally understand that. But Liz, I need you to-"

"What'd you just say?"

"That I understand why you're scared-"

"No! _After that_!"

"That I need you to stop for a minute and-"

" _No!_ " She slapped her palm to her forehead in frustration. "In the middle! You said my name- How do you know my name?"

I lowered my hands. "Will you actually let me finish my sentence if I tell you?" She narrowed her eyes, the way she always did when she was annoyed, but nodded. "I know you're name because I know _you_ \- pretty well actually. We all do... but I'm assuming you don't remember that."

She folded her arms over her chest. Through she was obviously still anxious, she wasn't actively trying to run away anymore. "I actually can't remember anything..." she admitted quietly.

 _This is a problem. Oh God, this is really,_ _ **really**_ _bad._

"That's okay," I put as much confidence into my voice as I could. "We can help you with that, if you let us."

Liz looked ready to bolt. "'Us' as in you and those supernatural monsters that I know are behind that door?"

"Yes- but they aren't monsters. They're superheroes."

"Super what now?"

"Heroes. You know, like Spiderman or the Hulk."

She wrinkled her nose, and I was blown away by just how _herself_ she looked. Standing the way she was, it wasn't hard to imagine back to the way things used to be. "You're talking about comic book characters."

"Well, just as an example." If Liz didn't remember anything about superheros there was no way she'd remember that she was one of us, and that was going to make everything that much more complicated.

 _As if things aren't complicated enough already_.

"How do you know me?" Liz suddenly demanded. Gone was the scared amnesiac from two minutes ago- the Liz before me was angry and suspicious and if I hadn't known any better then I'd say she was acting exactly like her old self. "How do any of you know me? What is this place?"

"Well-"

"Oh my God… you're all crazy, aren't you?" She stared pulling at her hair again. "That's it- we're all crazy and this is some kind of asylum and I've been kidnapped and locked in here with you. Oh God, or maybe _I'm_ the crazy one. Yeah, I'm probably hallucinating this whole thing and you aren't even real and neither are any of those freaks- or monsters or heroes or _whatever they are-_ and this is all just a bad dream."

"Liz," She was panicking again. "Take a breath. They're not crazy, I'm not crazy, and _you_ aren't crazy. I'm real," I held out a hand and she flinched despite being a good five feet away.

Cautiously, Liz took a step forwards, watching my hand like it would suddenly turn in to a snake and bite her. Once she was close enough she stretched her arm just enough to poke my hand before snatching her arm back like she'd been burned.

"See?" I said as she touched me again, this time letting her fingers linger on my wrist. "I'm real."

She nodded mutely, gaze fixed on where our skin met. Suddenly, she glared at me with such ferocity that her eyes flashed purple, before grabbing my wrist hard and twisting my arm behind my back.

"Who the hell are you people?" She snarled, kicking my feet out from under me, pinning me on my stomach. "And don't give me that 'superhero' crap."

 _Jesus Christ!_

"Danny!" Robin gasped, pushing the door open.

"Another step, and I'll break his arm!" Liz threatened. Robin froze. "Get back behind the door."

"Danny..." Robin looked down at me, as if waiting for my permission.

"It's fine," I told him. "I can handle this."

He didn't look happy- in fact, the Boy Wonder looked pretty pissed- but he backed up until he was behind the door again, his face joining Leon's in the window.

"I'm only going to ask this one more time," Liz hissed. "Who are you people, and how do you know who I am?"

"The Teen Titans!" I yelped as she twisted my arm harder. "We're the Teen Titans!"

Her grip loosened, and for a second I thought she'd recognized the name.

"Is that supposed to mean something to me?" She snapped, keeping my arm in place but not twisting.

"Yes, it should- you're a member of the team."

She scoffed, "You've got to be kidding me."

"I'm serious! All those people down there- they all know you because there was a time when you were a Titan."

Liz sat back on her heels, giving me a chance to look at her. She didn't look nearly as calm as I wanted her to be, but her anger had faded away into suspicion and confusion- and I could work with that.

"You're telling me I'm a superhero? And that we met because we were part of a _team_ of superheroes?"

"Well, yes and no." She let me sit up to face her. "You and I met differently way before we ever met the Titans."

"Okay, but there's still a big problem with your story," She frowned.

"What's that?"

"I don't have superpowers, and from the looks of it, neither do you."

Okay, ouch. The whole point of having a secret identity was to not look like a superhero, but I still found it insulting. That being said, I could tell her about having ghost powers all I wanted- Liz was the kind of girl to want physical proof.

"I can prove it to you," I explained, slowly standing up. "But it might freak you out a little."

Liz set her jaw as she stood next to me, rolling her eyes. Robin and Leon stared at us through the door window, asking with their expressions if I needed help.

I didn't. This was Liz- _my Liz_.

Everything would be fine.


	3. Stranger in a strange land- Liz

**Liz is back baby! Please check out my new website (link in bio) Enjoy the return of your favorite ghost girl!**

Stranger In A Strange Land- Liz (3)

I couldn't speak. I couldn't breathe. Time itself stopped along with my heart, and all I could think was, "I'm going to die."

There was no explanation for who- or _what_ \- was in front of me. His eyes glowed a radioactive green, black hair melting away to white. It was the same thing that the younger guy had done- just turned, _physically changed,_ in the blink of an eye.

They were monsters. They had to be. No human had eyes like that; hell, no _animal_ had eyes like that.

"Hey," he kneeled next to me. I hadn't realized I'd collapsed. "Liz-"

" _Don't_. Don't say my name like that."

"Like what?" His voice was too gentle, too caring. It was as if with one sharp exhale, I'd shatter.

"Like you know me." This was all crazy. "I don't who _you_ are, I don't know who your _friends_ over there are; I don't even know where I am or how I got here!" And that was the truth, wasn't it? I had _literally_ no memories beyond the basic knowledge of being on a snow-covered rooftop in a hostile situation. I didn't even know my last name.

"This is a lot," the boy- David?- admitted. "I'll admit it; we kinda rushed into things we probably shouldn't have- lead with the wrong material. Just take a breath for a minute. Try and process things."

'Process things'. He wanted me to _'process things_ '? If I'd had any control over my body, I would have smacked him. In the span of ten minutes, _at most_ , I'd woken up strapped down, surrounded by beings that were _clearly_ not human, chased through a labyrinth of a tower, and confronted by three complete strangers, two of which, let's remember, could change their appearance at _will_. And just because one of said strangers knows what I _think_ is my name, I'm supposed to trust them?

"I think I've 'processed' just fine." Something akin to muscle memory was urging me to run- to get off the roof and away from the crazy people. Unfortunately, the only exit was blocked, unless I wanted to go over the edge. Given the circumstances, I didn't dismiss the idea.

The boy- monster, _whatever_ \- bit his lip anxiously, casting a helpless look towards his friends behind the door. They looked just as lost as he did.

"Let's start over," He said finally, sitting criss-cross a few feet in front of me. "My name is Danny."

 _What?_

His hand was extended like he expected me to actually shake it. After a few tense moments, he lowered it. I stared at the spot it had been. _Danny_. That name meant something to me- when he said it, a wave of undetermined emotion washed over me. I wasn't any more relaxed, but I was infinitely more curious.

"Your name is Liz," he added after another minute of awkward silence.

"I know," I snapped.

"Good," Danny smiled, and my chest burned at the sight. "What else do you know?"

Wasn't that the million-dollar question.

"I know I'm in a tower… on an island… off the coast of a big city." _I know that you're bigger than me, and I still managed to pin you to the ground; that you didn't fight back when I did, but I would have been able even if you had. I know that your buddies don't want to hurt me, but, unlike you, are willing to do so if the need arises. I know that if I punched you hard enough in the nose, you'd fall over and be blinded by tears, your friends would rush out to help, and I'd be able to take them out too. And, above all, I know that I'm in danger._

"That's really good," Danny praised as if I were a child. "Anything else? Maybe something you remember?"

Screaming. I remembered so much screaming. "No. Nothing."

"That's okay."

" _No_ ," I snapped. "It's really not! This entire thing is _crazy_!"

"It is," he agreed. "This is so… well, I mean, it's not the _craziest_ thing that's ever happened to us, but it's definitely top ten."

" _Top ten?_ "

He lifted a shoulder. "You're right- more like top five."

I blinked. "I- _what_ \- is that- Is that supposed to make me feel better?"

"Maybe not- but it makes me feel better. Gives me some hope that we can fix this situation." He gave an exhausted smile, eyes twinkling like we were old friends sharing an inside joke; Maybe to him, we were.

I didn't understand. The boy himself wasn't explicitly threatening if you managed to overlook the glowing eyes. He wasn't attacking me, he wasn't cornering me, he was just _talking_ to me. Yet every nerve in my body screamed danger, begging me to either run away or fight my way to freedom. Shivers danced across my skin and I had an overwhelming feeling of _something_ , but I couldn't place what. It was as if every organ in my body was slightly misplaced and needed to shift back to normal.

"Are you a little calmer now?" Danny asked. My heart still pounded in my chest, but my hands had stopped shaking. I nodded.

"That's good. Progress! We love progress!" The more he spoke, the more I realized Danny was just as anxious as I was. Whatever I'd been doing in the tower, this wasn't the intended outcome.

"You keep eyeing my friends back there," Danny gestured to the door. "Do you want them to come out here?"

Honestly, _no_ , having one weirdo within touching range was difficult enough; three would probably give me a heart attack. But realistically, if I wanted to get out of here, I'd need them to move first. Of course, that left an undetermined number of others standing between me and the front door… a free fall off the ledge sounded better by the minute.

"What are their names?" I asked instead. Danny practically glowed with pleasure.

"The tall one- well, _taller_ , he's kinda short, but don't say that to his face- that's Robin."

"Like the bird?"

"Yes."

Sure. Why not?

"And the other one- his name is Leon."

"Right. My 'clone'." Danny snorted- I didn't think what I said was funny.

"Something like that," he agreed, standing and motioning for them to come out.

Robin didn't walk so much as he stalked out, like a lion ready to pounce. Every step was deliberately placed, his hands twitching around his utility belt. Leon shuffled behind him, half-hidden by Robin's cape. His big, glowing- _why_ with the glowing?- purple eyes shimmered with unshed tears.

"Let's reintroduce ourselves," Danny suggested, as if he hadn't just told me their names.

"I'm Robin." Robin had stopped his stalking, standing just an inch or two in front of Danny protectively. His voice was welcoming enough, but his body language sang of suspicion. It was hard to get a read on him, what with the mask hiding his eyes.

"Anyone ever tell you that you look like a walking traffic light?"

Robin pinched the bridge of his nose with a long-suffering sigh as Danny tried, and failed, to cover up a laugh. "It's been mentioned." He said, the tiniest hint of a smile tugging at his lips.

"And you still chose to dress like that?" I mean honestly, it was downright ridiculous.

"If only you remembered how much you haven't changed." _Whatever that's supposed to mean._

Leon poked out from behind Robin, eyes still shiny, looking, for all his piercings and glowing eyes, like a toddler meeting someone for the first time. "I'm Leon," he offered timidly.

Any snarky response I had died on my tongue as I took in how utterly heartbroken the kid looked. Someone had broken his heart, and that someone was me. For the first time, I felt genuinely sorry that I didn't know who he was- clearly we had had some sort of relationship.

Part of my mind- the logical part I assume- reminded me that the stairway was now free. The emotional half, however, still had 1,000 questions, and an annoying urge to hug Leon and cry.

Nothing made any sense. I didn't remember going through puberty, but I imagined it felt a lot like this.

"Do you remember us?" Robin asked. "Is any of this ringing a bell?"

"No." And really, it was only half a lie. My mind didn't recognize them, but physically I knew precisely which pressure point would knock Leon out and how to twist Robin's arm so he couldn't move. It was terrifying.

"Think really hard, Liz," Robin pushed. "What happened before you woke up? Where were you?"

"There was… darkness..." My eyes followed the shadow of a bird flying overhead. I did remember darkness, but it was so much more than that. It was black, yet there were flashes of light. There had been an overwhelming sense of emptiness, as if every last inch of happiness and positivity had been drained from the world. It was hopeless and abandoned, and so _cold_ that everything was numb.

"Anything else?" Danny pressed cautiously.

I met his gaze, heart stopping again at their glow. Before I could answer, shouts sounded from bellow us. It sounded like an elephant was trampling through the halls. Danny and Robin shared a concerned look, their attention torn between the exit and me. I took a small step backward towards the edge. When no one noticed, I took another. The sounds were getting louder.

The roof was much higher than I initially thought. The ocean looked worlds away, almost black with the overhanging clouds. Was the water even deep enough to catch me if I fell? What if there were rocks at the bottom and I only succeeded in impaling myself?

"Liz?" Leon had snuck up on me. "What are you-" A green blast cut the door in two.

"GET DOWN!" Robin yelled, tackling Danny out of the way as a shadowed mass shot from between the wreckage. Leon shrieked, grabbing my wrist as he dove to the floor. Despite the cold, the door frame was steaming where it'd been attacked. A cloud of fog had settled over the roof, making it impossible to see. Somewhere to my left, Robin warned about a smoke bomb.

 _What the hell, what the hell, what the_ _ **hell**_!

"Liz?" Leon's eyes cut through the fog. Elsewhere, I could hear the clear sounds of a fight. "We need to get out of here! Follow me, okay?" His grip on my wrist was reassuring.

I nodded mutely, unwilling and unable to speak. Part of me recognized I was probably going into shock, or dissociating, or something else not at all good for me, but I didn't care. I needed out.

Leon lead the way as we crawled to the door. The smoke showed no signs of lightening up; every now and then, green or black blasts would flash, casting shadowy silhouettes of the battle.

"We're almost there," Leon whispered. "I want you to run downstairs, choose a room, and don't come out until I come to get you, okay?"

"I- But-"

"I know you're scared but please, _please_ , just trust me! I swear there's an explanation for all of this and I'll tell you all of it as soon as I can. I promise." We'd reached the doorway- freedom was literally just around the corner. "Don't run," He begged quietly. "Please."

"I..." Dammit. Something in his eyes was so familiar, his voice so heartbroken I could feel his pain like it was my own. "I won't."

With a smile, he motioned for me to run.

The door was still steaming, metal hinges melted and dripping. The light had either gone out or been destroyed, and with fog rolling in from the roof, it looked like the descent to Hell. For a moment, I froze in fear. Suddenly, someone screamed and slammed into me from behind, sending us both crashing down the stairwell. When we came to a stop I saw it was the girl with pink hair and orange skin.

With a war cry, she launched herself up and back to the battle- I doubt she'd even noticed me. The collision with the wall hadn't seemed to faze her.

 _Just go downstairs and hide, and you'll be safe._

I turned and screamed. The body of a girl was splayed across the landing, arm dangling over the ledge where the rest of the stairs should have been. They'd been cut off by the same force that melted the door, and when I looked down at least 7 floors worth of them had collapsed. Someone down there was shouting for help.

 _Shit._

The girl groaned and turned towards me- thank God she was alive- but her eyes didn't open. Blood dripped from beneath her hair, and my hands started shaking again as I realized it was green.

Everything faded away to static as I collapsed on my knees. I didn't have any other option- I was going to have to go back to the roof and jump off the side of a building. Somehow, it didn't seem like such a crazy idea anymore. I took a deep, steadying breath, and moved the girl so she was safe against the wall.

I could do this.

I _would_ do this.

The smoke was almost gone when I poked my head back outside; I could finally see what was going on.

Robin was engaged in an intense hand-to-hand fight with a much bigger man dressed in black and orange armor. A mask covered all but his left eye. Danny was attacking from behind, but I could tell he was getting tired quickly. His movements were slow and uncalculated.

The pink-haired girl was unconscious on the other side on the roof. Leon was at her side, trying to move her to safer ground.

"Azarath metrion synthose!" The was another girl on the roof, hidden in the shadows not far from Danny. With a flick of her fingers, a wave of black power threw the masked man across the roof. It hardly even stunned him.

When he got back up with a scoff and an "Is that the best you can do?", I decided it was my cue to leave. With one final breath, I bolted for the edge.

"Liz?" Danny squawked in surprise as I ran past him.

"Stop!" Robin yelled.

I didn't. I couldn't. I only had time to think _I hope I live to regret this_ before I jumped.

It may interest you to know that when faced with a life or death situation, my primal reaction is to scream absolute bloody murder.

I was expecting to fall. I was expecting to feel the wind rushing past me and hear it whistling as the cold gray slab of ocean grew closer and closer until I finally hit it and dealt with the consequences.

But I didn't fall.

As soon as I was airborne, a chill crawled up my spine, and for the first time since waking up, I felt _right_. The feeling was short-lived, however, when I opened my eyes only to stare into the reflection of myself in a window. I wasn't falling- I was floating. And my eyes were glowing.

" _Liz!_ " Danny almost somersaulted off the roof. His face broke into a relieved smile as he saw me, though his eyes were still glazed with panic.

"What the hell?" I breathed, clumsily flying back to the solid floor of the roof. "What the hell, _what the hell?"_

"What the hell indeed," A low voice purred. "Hello, Elizabeth."

My breath caught in my throat. The masked man had one hand around Robin's neck, the other twisting his arm so he couldn't move.

Danny stood slowly, arms up in surrender. "Slade-"

"Don't." Slade twisted Robin's arm just a little harder. Danny winced in sympathy, anger blazing in his eyes. "Move away from the girl, Daniel."

Danny glanced between Robin and me, teeth grinding so hard I could hear it, before carefully taking steps to the side until Slade was satisfied. Without him by my side, I felt even more vulnerable.

"Who are you?" I asked in a voice much more powerful than I actually felt.

"You don't remember?" He didn't seem surprised.

"She doesn't know anything," Robin grunted, shifting uncomfortably under the strain of his arm.

"Interesting."

"She has nothing to do with this," Danny said darkly.

"On the contrary, Daniel. She has everything to do with this." My blood felt like ice.

"You'll have no problem letting Robin go then." The girl with black powers hissed.

"Tsk tsk, Raven. You should know better than to make demands of me."

The tension was thick enough to cut with a knife. No one was willing to attack with Robin in danger.

My hands were hot and shaking. "What do you want?"

Slade cocked his head to the side. "You, of course."

Danny and Raven surged forward in protest. Slade dropped Robin's arm and tightened his grip on his neck, lifting the boy a foot in the air. "Not another step," he warned.

Suddenly the heat in my palms intensified, and there were purple orbs of energy engulfing my hands. "Omigod!"

"It's okay-" Danny moved to help me, but one look from Slade had him frozen in his tracks.

"You can't control your powers like you used to." The older man observed.

"You… You know me?"

"Yes. Very well, in fact."

Raven shouted, "He's lying!" Robin gasped, struggling harder as Slade's grip tightened, cutting off his airflow. "Stop!"

"Elizabeth," he said, ignoring Raven's protests and uncaring of the boy he was choking to death. "We have so much to discuss."

"Let Robin go and maybe I'll consider it."

I could practically hear his smirk. "A negotiator as always. Very well." He let go and Robin fell harshly, gasping and coughing. Slade took a step towards me, and I raised my arms defensively.

"Stay over there." I had no idea how to actually fire the purple glow from my hands, but by the way he stopped short, they would hurt once I figured it out.

"I won't hurt you." He said.

"The evidence says otherwise."

"This?" Slade looked around innocently. "You have no idea what this is."

"Educate me then." Robin had finally caught his breath, but he hadn't moved.

"My poor sweet child." Slade's hands fell to his side. "I don't blame you for not trusting me. After all these people put you through, how could I? I can't imagine the world of horrors you've seen. It's enough to bring down even the toughest warrior."

The purple glow faded away. "What are you talking about?"

"I've been looking for you for a very long time- ever since these people took you from me. I've had to watch them torture you, change you, force you into being something you're not. A monster."

" _Monster_?"

"They took you gifts and twisted them, bastardized them into tools for their own gain. And now, what's worse, they've made you forget."

"Bullshit!" Robin cried, jumping to his feet.

"If you come with me," Slade continued. "I can help you remember. I can help you find yourself again."

"I don't know what you're on," Robin said, planting himself between us. "But you're even more deranged than I thought if you think we're letting you anywhere near her."

"Liz," Danny rushed to me. "You can't believe a word this guy says."

"They kidnapped you," Slade said.

Danny glared at him. "No-"

"Tortured you,"

"No!"

"And when they realized they couldn't control you, they stole your memories so they could try all over again."

"Lies!" Danny exclaimed. "So many lies I can't even- what- how- what are you even saying?"

"Think about it." Slade's voice was calm and even.

So I did. I thought about the darkness and the screaming. I thought about waking up practically strapped down on a stretcher. I thought about all the people around me when I woke up and how they chased me with their impossible powers. How I myself seemed to be displaying similar abilities. From the first second I'd been conscious I'd had the undeniable feeling of being in danger.

"How do I know you're telling the truth?" I finally asked. "That I can trust you?"

"Liz, no!" Danny choked.

"You don't," Slade admitted. "And you're smart not to trust me- never trust anyone. But in your heart, I think you know the right answer, Lizzie."

 _Lizzie._ That one word filled me with warmth and safety and security. It brought memories of warm sandy beaches and chilly night breezes. Just the sound of it felt like home.

"Okay," I whispered.

" _What_?" Danny gasped incredulously. "You can't honestly believe-"

"I can, and I do." The hand on my shoulder was gentle as Slade steered me away.

"You can't!" Leon begged, running up and grabbing my hand. I yanked it back.

"I'd suggest against trying to stop us," Slade growled, staring him down.

Robin put a hand on Danny's chest to keep him from following us. "I won't let you get away with this, Slade."

Slade said nothing. With no warning he picked me up, jumping down the fallen staircase with ease, chuckling when I screeched. "There's a boat waiting for us." He told me as he set me down. "I trust you can walk there yourself?"

By the time I was sitting, all of the adrenaline had drained from my body. I was shaking, ready to pass out and sleep for a year. Slade spoke softly and carefully to me as we jetted away, leaving the tower behind. I'm not sure how much time passed before we were docked in a private lake and walking into Slade's home, though it was more of a secret lair.

"There are two others," He was explaining, a firm grip on my arm to keep me from falling. "I've helped them just like I'll help you."

"Like me?" I tugged a strand of my white hair self consciously.

"Similar. Not the same." He stopped to catch me as I stumbled. "This is too much. We don't have to talk about it anymore today. Let's get you settled and let you rest."

"Sounds good."

"Slade!" A blond girl welcomed us as we entered what must have been the living room. Slade had explained he lived in an underground bunker on the way, so the layout wasn't what one could call traditional.

"Terra," Slade helped me to the couch. "This is Elizabeth."

"The mission went well then." Terra beamed, plopping next to me. "I've heard a lot about you."

"Well, well, well," a lanky teenage boy smirked, sauntering over to lean on a nearby support pillar. "The prodigal daughter in the flesh. I wasn't aware you'd be so beautiful."

"Don't be creepy, Patrick." Terra frowned.

I blinked hard, rubbing a hand over my face. The very sight of Patrick had kicked my fight or flight back into gear, and I wanted together more than to fly out of there and into the warmest, safest place possible. His eyes glowed a nightmarish red.

"Leave, both of you," Slade said, returning with a bowl of soup and a water bottle. "Elizabeth has had a traumatic day and needs to rest. Introductions can wait until tomorrow."

"Yes sir," Terra said sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

Patrick dipped his head, oily bangs falling over his eyes as he flashed a sinister smile. "Welcome to the revolution, little sister."


End file.
